Tag Archives: sin

Well the election is over and it doesn’t matter who you voted for and it really is none of my business. I’ve heard people who are ecstatic that President Obama has been given another chance to see what he can do. Whether it is good or bad, fair or unfair is not for me to say. And, on the other hand I’ve heard people say that now our country will go to hell in a hand basket; that President Obama will not only give away the farm but will toss in the livestock. Again, it is not for me to say what my opinion is on the subject. Honestly, I’m not worried one way or the other. Long before last Tuesday my son reminded me that no matter who is president that Jesus is still King. To me that’s all that’s important. I know no matter what that God will always take care of me and my family. He always has.

Are you worried about the country? Come on… do you honestly think one man can build our country up or tear it down? Only God can destroy our country. We must exercise our faith in Him. Remember what He promised in 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear their prayers from Heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. So there you go! Christians should not be wasting their time pointing fingers and blaming others. The reason our country is in the mess it is in is because God’s people, His children have turned away from listening to Him and following His principles and virtues and have started living like the world. Today it is hard sometimes to tell the Christians from the world. We accept far more than we should and we fail to stand up and speak up for our beliefs. When they wanted to take prayer and devotionals out of the public schools we sat on our hands and let them. Then they wanted to remove the Ten Commandments from all public buildings and again we did not speak up. They said it is all right to kill unborn babies and we allowed that and same-sex marriage and on and on and on… Where does it stop?

It will stop when Christians get on their knees and humble themselves, pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways! So stop blaming President Obama or whoever is in office and start putting the blame on our backs where it belongs. If God’s children will pray and stand up for God’s principles and virtues (and apply them to their lives) this country can once again be a wonderful place to live. Our children can play outside or walk a block to the store without having to worry about being kidnapped, raped and/or murdered. Neighbors will be willing to help neighbors. Yes, there will be jobs for everyone and we can once again freely seek the American Dream. It is up to us, not one of us but all of us. Christians you should never have to tell someone you are a Christian they should be able to tell it by the way you live.

Thanks for stopping by and until next time please read your Bible, seek God’s way and keep praying. We can once again be God’s Client Nation and have His favor.

They walk out of the free clinic hand in one. One glance at his face tells her that he is just as afraid as she is. Neither of them say a word. They simply hold hands and walk a half block then plop down on the bench to wait for the city bus.

They had just heard the news that should make them happy but instead they are scared out of their minds. She wants to blame him. He said this could not happen that he knew what to do; he would be careful. But it had happened and she had known for almost three months but would not admit it even to herself. Sometimes she hoped that something else was wrong; maybe she had cancer. Then she would scold herself for such an idea. She had refused to say the words.

But the doctor had said them. “Congratulations you’re going to be a mother.”

How could that be? She had just turned fifteen four months ago and she had so many dreams; so many things she wanted to accomplish. She wanted to go to college and get out of the desolate community where she had been all her life.

He turned to her and said the unspeakable word that she has let run across her own mind more times than she cares to admit. “Abortion, that’s the answer. That’s what we’ll do. I’ll use some of the money I’ve saved for college and…”

She shakes her head vigorously and her hand covers her belly in an automatic protective motion. She already has a mother’s instinct. “Never,” she says surprised that her voice comes out in a harsh whisper when her mind is screaming. “That’s murder; a sin! Sin’s what got us in this mess to begin with.”

He starts to deny it but she holds up her hand and stops his flow of words. “Yes it is. We both knew it was a sin to have sex outside of marriage. The pastor said so and you were sitting right there beside me and heard him the same as I did.”

He is silent again and keeps glancing down the road; hoping the bus will hurry and come. He wants to get as far away from that clinic as he can. But he can’t escape the doctor’s words that keep screaming in his head.

She sees the big blue and gray bus two blocks away when he finally takes her other hand and turns her so they are face to face. “Okay… okay we’ll get married.”

That’s what she wanted to hear. That’s what she has hoped for weeks he would say. But when she looked in his eyes she doesn’t see the undying love forever he had promised. Instead she sees fear and doubt and underneath it all a shadow of dread and disappointment.

He sees his dreams of college and a better life fly away. He’s worked hard all through high school to keep his grades up hoping to qualify for an academic scholarship. Just in case he did not get one he has worked every vacation, weekend and holiday and saved every penny. Now when he is only a few months from graduation his dream is being jerked away.

She can’t do it! She can’t destroy him.

“No.” She shakes her head just as the bus squeals to a stop and the door glides open. “I don’t want to marry you. Stay here I don’t want you with me.” She drops his hand and stands up. She walks to the bus then says over her shoulder as she climbs the steps. “I don’t love you. I never did.” She hates the pain that flashes across his face. More lies she thinks as she hands the driver her school identification which allows her to ride the bus for free. Tears stream unchecked down her cheeks as she stumbles down the aisle and finds a seat.

The driver cusses under his breath. He’s had this same route for over fifteen years and has picked up way too many young girls from this stop who have the same look on their face as his new passenger.

That night over spaghetti with watered down sauce with no meat she starts to cry. Her mother gave birth to her when she was only sixteen. She has worked two jobs as a maid for as long as the girl can remember but there is still never enough money for the bills and necessities. Is this all she has to offer her baby? A life time of need, uncertainty and doing without.

Then she remembers the brochures the doctor had given her. She had crammed them in her battered purse without even a glance. Now she leaves the table and goes to the bedroom she shares with her mother. They have always had a one bedroom apartment. She retrieves the papers and sat on the bed as she reads them. The first two talk about abortion so she tosses them in the trash as though they are too hot to touch. The other one is about adoption. She reads it twice. Then falls to her knees and prays, crying out to God to show her if adoption is the answer. Should she? Could she give her baby to strangers?

When she told her mother what was going on they cried together. Then they agreed adoption was the best thing to do. Rich couples who had everything this world had to offer except being able to conceive a child were willing to pay all her bills if she gave her baby to them.

She was sure she had found the solution when she, her mother and the boy met the prospective parents. They seemed like very nice people and assured her they would give the baby their very best.

And then the baby started to move.

Her love grew as the tiny body formed and grew just below her heart. She knew she had to give it away but she wished the day would never come.

No matter how hard she wished her water broke and labor pains ripped her apart. As agreed the adoptive parents were in the delivery room. They tried to hide it but she saw the joy on their faces when the doctor held up her tiny son and his healthy cries ricocheted around the room. When the nurse placed him in her arms her heart was filled with so much love and joy mixed with grief she felt it would burst. For a minute she could not breathe.

The adoptive parents vowed their love for him but how could they possibly love him as much as she did? They had not held him all these months sleeping against their heart or felt him kick so hard she was certain he had caused her internal injuries.

The attorneys said she had forty-eight hours in which she could change her mind. She knew she wouldn’t; knew she couldn’t. She loved him too much to condemn him to a life of poverty. She would use the time to tell him how much she loved him. She held him all night pouring out her heart to him even though she knew he would not understand and would never remember. But she hoped that somewhere deep inside he would somehow know she cared. She counted his perfect pink toes and kissed each tiny finger. Taking deep breaths she sucked in his smell so she would never forget. The fuzz that covered his head tickled her cheek as she snuggled with him.

The hour came way too soon. She was allowed to dress him in the soft one-piece pajamas covered with pale yellow ducklings. Her fingers trembled as she pulled up the zipper. She kept glancing at the papers their lawyer had placed on the stand beside her bed. The attorney the couple had hired for her had read them and assured her all was in order. She wrapped her son in the soft, expensive blanket they had brought then turned and placed him in the waiting mother’s arms. Quickly she picked up the pen and with a shaking hand signed her name.

They walked hurriedly to the door and disappeared down the hall. She stuffed the corner of the pillow in her mouth to stifle the scream that tore at her heart and soul. She had just shown the most unselfish love she could ever show her son.

We hear so many stories today of divorce and families being separated for one reason or an other. There is one relationship that we never have to worry about anything separating us from: our relationship with God.

As I have stated before I base this blog on my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and my devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley. I most definitely want to give credit where credit is due. The main credit for our existence should be given to God our Father. As Dr. Stanley teaches: the lord designed us for a close intimate relationship with Him. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross as a substitute for us. When Jesus hung on that old cross all sins past, present and future were imputed to Him. He did this in obedience to God the Father and because of His love for us. God even sends us a Guide and Teacher, the Holy Spirit, to teach us His ways and to intercede for us when we pray and just don’t know how to pray or what to pray for.

When we trust in Jesus God adopts us as His very own children, we are part of the family of God! Now think about it. Think about your love for your children and family. When they are in need is there anything you would not do for them? If they are hungry, need clothes or are sick wouldn’t you go to any measure to take care of their needs? Then why do you think God would do any less for us? He loves us far more than we are capable of loving anyone or anything: yet we doubt Him. When we have a problem we fret and worry instead of calling “Father!” He is here with us and He loves us yet we don’t believe. God wants us to turn to Him. He wants to supply everything we need no matter how large or how small. I’ll be honest with you, He has even helped me find a parking place. And He helps me merge into the flow of traffic when I am driving on a busy highway. If I misplace or lose something I ask and He leads me to it. What He does for me He will do for you. Try it, trust Him. The Bible is full of His love for us. And once we have faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ no force can pluck us from His hand. Which mean absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. All He asks is that we trust Him.

Our circle of influence might be small or it might be huge but either way we all have an effect on others. They watch us to see how we will handle ourselves in certain situations. Yes, some are hoping we will fail to act in a Christian way. But others are watching to learn what to do should they face similar circumstances. We need to hold firm to our Christian values and principles. Like Daniel our actions determine the outcome. Oh, we might not persuade kings or people of great power but again we might. The person watching might only be a child (our children or grandchildren, who in my opinion is more important than men of power.) Only God knows who He has allowed to cross our path and why He did so. No matter who is involved we should stand firm on our convictions to God. It was Daniel’s convictions that determined his behavior. He knew it was wrong to eat meat offered to false gods. He did not act in a harsh way and simply refuse to eat. He was humble and asked the guard to test him by letting him eat vegetables for ten days. We can be humble and still stand firm on our principles.

I do my daily morning devotion with Dr. Charles Stanley so if you hear some of his quotes from me you now know why. This morning our devotion was on the “Message the World Needs.”

The mission of the church is to spread the message of the gospel to all the world. Yes, it is true that we do other work for God such as visiting the sick and shut in and helping the needy. But our main mission is to spread the gospel. Now don’t sit back and relax and say “I knew that was the preacher’s job not mine.” It is all our assignment! No, we can’t all be ministers but we can all use our God-given talents to tell others about Jesus and God’s saving grace. You don’t have to be an acclaimed speaker to do this. We can simply tell the people we come in contact with. God will tell you what to do and say all you have to do is be willing to do it. God will send the people He wants you to witness to across your path. He will send the listeners, readers or whatever media you use to be available to you. Dr. Stanley teaches that the limiting factor is not the Lord’s ability to use us but our availability to His call. So today tell someone you meet how wonderful God is. You don’t have to preach, just include God in your conversation and actions. Sometimes we reach people by the way we treat them as well as what we say to them.

Today I read Ezekiel 36:25-27 in my morning devotion. And I came up with the question of the morning from the same devotion.

Once we are saved we are said to be new creatures where even God resides in us. So we ask, “Why do we still sin? Aren’t we now new with a new heart bent toward God?” Yes, we are definitely new creatures but that refers to our position in Christ. We are forgiven and we can be certain of our eternal home with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in Heaven. However, we still have our old fleshly bodies which has a sin nature. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden man has been born with a sin nature. So as long as we are here alive on earth we will have a battle between spirit and flesh. God knew we could never win this battle on our own so He gave us the Holy Spirit Who guides and teaches us God’s way. Yes, we will continue to sin but the moment we do we should name those sins to God and He just as quick forgives the sins we name and the sins that we were unaware that we had committed. (1 John 1:9) Sin is not the issue. Faith alone in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the issue. Remember all sins past, present and future were imputed to Jesus on the Cross.

God Bless you, please stop back tonight for another blog and tomorrow for a devotional.